What if Courtney wasn't eliminated?
by ThxrinOxkenshield
Summary: We all know that Harold messed with the votes the first season to get Courtney eliminated, but what if she wasn't? What if she stayed in the game? Would that change matters in her personality? Would her and Duncan be a lot closer? Better yet, would she actually win the money?
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: I've always asked this question: what would've happened if Courtney wasn't eliminated like she was in Total Drama Island? I always pinpointed that was the change in her personality that made her a tad meaner and more vicious in the newer seasons from Action onwards to All Stars. She became bitter because of the betrayal and, therefore, meaner. However, what if that didn't happen? What if Courtney stayed in the game and went as far as she could go on her own? Find out right here!**

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The tension wasn't much, considering she knew exactly who was going home. Even Bridgette was voting for him, and she wasn't even in on the deal with the boys in the first place. Dusting off the small log before she sat down, she waited for Harold to take the seat beside her before she sent him an arrogant grin. Yes, perhaps that was a bit much. Today she had not only tried her hardest to let loose, she had actually kissed that damned delinquent who had been getting on her nerves all season and yet he managed to weasel his way into her better intentions, otherwise. She knew, however, that after tonight even if they were considered an 'item', she wouldn't be able to keep this whole daredevil vendetta up the entire game. While this had all been the most fun she'd had on the island, she understood it was her golden ticket for elimination. Duncan would understand.

"Don't look too cocky, Princess," Duncan's voice removed her from her thoughts as he took the stump on her other side. "You do wanna give the audience a bit of a surprise, ratings and all." He rolled his eyes playfully as he grinned at her, which she returned but finally changed her demeanor when Chris appeared with the tray of marshmallows, all that would be given to the lot of them except for Harold, who would finally rid the cabin of his disgusting underwear and body odor that was almost as bad as Owen's.

He began, as he always did, with the common saying before every elimination, "I only have five marshmallows on my plate. And these marshmallows represent the campers that will continue to be campers...here."

Courtney rolled her eyes. What was with that dramatic set up? They've been doing this for twelve episodes already. They knew what the stupid treats meant.

"You've all cast your ballots in the confession can," Chris continued. "If I do not call your name, you must immediately go down to the Dock of Shame, catch the Boat of Losers, and go home. And you can't come back. Ever." Once more, he paused for the dramatic effect. By now, Courtney had grown bored of it and resulted to just merely grinning at Harold as she waited to hear her name called. Duncan!"

"Yeah!" Duncan cheered, pumping a fist in the air as he flashed Courtney a grin before he got up to retrieve his marshmallow.

"DJ!"

"Yeah!" DJ mirrored Duncan's energy as he also got up, following the delinquent towards the tray.

"Bridgette!"

Bridgette could only smile, her hands stuffed in her sweatshirt hoodie as she got up to stand with the other two boys, giving Courtney and Geoff an encouraging smile as she did so.

"Geoff!"

"Yeah!" Geoff almost tossed his cowboy hat in the air, smiling eagerly as he got up and rushed towards the others, leaving only Courtney and Harold sitting on the stumps as both stared eagerly at the last marshmallow available that would only go to one of them. Courtney didn't know why she felt so nervous. She shouldn't be. Duncan promised her he would never vote for her, even going as far as to get DJ and Geoff to vote with him. Bridgette had smiled at her, meaning she didn't vote for her either. It should be inevitable for it to be Harold, right?

"Campers, this is the final marshmallow of the night." Chris said, pausing for just a few moments, staring at either one of the campers as he waited to shout the name that both were wanton to hear. "Harold."

"Yes!" Harold cheered as Courtney jumped to her feet in shock.

"WHAT? You guys voted for Harold over me? ME?" she couldn't help but shriek, her hand clutching the front of her shirt.

But, just as Harold reached Chris to grab the marshmallow, the host suddenly held it out of reach.

"That's what we thought, too!" Chris smiled, gently pushing Harold back by the chest.

"Yeah, I know for a fact there were at least three of us who didn't vote her off!" Duncan snarled in defense, his eyes flashing towards Harold angrily.

"Yes, yes, now let me explain. After seeing the unanimous votes against our very annoying CIT(which would mean even Courtney voted for herself), Chef and I reviewed the confessional footage to see what was up. Turns out Harold got ahold of the bin that held the votes and replaced the originals! Nice try, dude, really. You almost had us. But that don't work well with the producers. You're out. Courtney, you're safe."

Courtney felt her heart almost fall into her stomach, but the weight that had settled on her shoulders had lifted and she got to her feet, snatching the marshmallow from Chris before grabbing the front of Harold's shirt and yanking him towards her, her face absolutely malicious.

"Wait, wait, wait!" Harold cried, covering his face, "it wasn't personal! It was because Duncan kept picking on me! I thought it would make him stop!"

"So you decided to ruin MY chance for the money? Here's a clue for you! You're a loser without a backbone! Even Beth managed to stand up to Heather!" With that, she chucked him into the dirt and stormed toward her team, popping the marshmallow into her mouth before Duncan embraced her, hissing in her ear, "Nicely done, Princess, almost did it better than I could've."

"Oh, shut up," Courtney playfully retorted, pushing him back slightly to watch Harold stare at them, betrayed before Chef took the breath right out of him by chucking his luggage onto his stomach.

"The Boat of Losers awaits you, my friend," Chris smiled. "Go on ahead."

"Whatever! This show is a complete joke! GOSH!" Harold exclaimed, getting to his feet and sending them one last glare before he stormed away toward the Dock of Shame.

"And that leaves the Killer Bass with only five left!" Chris grinned, turning to them. "Go on and get to bed, Bass, and rest for the next challenge!"

The five of them cheered loudly, turning away from the glow of the fire as they went to make their way to the cabins, all of them exhausted from the training they had to endure with psycho Chef. Overall, however, despite the loss, they were happy. Harold was gone and their team was surely a lot stronger now without him.

"Well, Princess," Duncan called, throwing an arm over her shoulders and pulling her close. "Care to help me go and find Chef's undies and throw them up the flag pole?"

"Sorry, Duncan," Courtney laughed as they reached their cabin, walking up the steps and stopping just before the girls' side. "I'm extremely tired from the stupid obstacle course, and I'm pretty sure you should get some rest after nailing your head from falling off that stupid tree. We're going to need you next challenge."

"So you're back to normal, huh?" Duncan asked, though he didn't sound too disappointed.

"Well, I'm definitely not going to go out of my way to break the rules again, but I'm also not gonna go back to the girl who just rolled with the punches. Harold nearly got me voted off. Imagine what'll happen later on when we merge, especially if Heather's still in the game. I'll be playing a lot stronger."

By now it was just the two of them.

"Well, don't peg me as a picky guy. You're still hot either way," Duncan snorted.

"Such a charmer," Courtney shook her head before grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him into a quick kiss. "Goodnight, Duncan."

With that, she stepped away and left him dazed as she entered her side of the cabin, leaning on the door with a flustered, grateful smile. This island wasn't as bad as she had thought.

"I can't believe Harold almost got you voted off," Bridgette called from her bunk, where she seemed to be fixing it up so it was more comfortable to sleep in. "Were Duncan, Geoff, and DJ really that hard on him?"

"Mm, maybe, but it wasn't as if it was one sided. Duncan told me Harold would purposely leave his nasty underwear around for them to find," she said as she walked over to the drawers in order to pull out some pajamas to change into.

"So...you and Duncan, huh?" Bridgette taunted, smiling at her. "You didn't tell me!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I just didn't have the time! It all happened so fast! But...I actually think we're okay. I just hope we don't turn on each other when it comes down to the money. I think he understands even if we are...whatever we are, I'm still going to try to crush him for that hundred thousand dollars." She finally found her pink night shirt and shorts.

"I think he would prefer that," Bridgette smiled. "Now, c'mon. We need to sleep."

Courtney smiled thoughtfully and sighed softly, walking over to her bunk.

Well, hundred thousand dollars or not, she was still pretty happy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Just so everyone knows, I plan to be changing the elimination order a tad since I've decided to make this story 'Courtney oriented'. That means the final two won't be the same, among other things. Please don't flame the story if you disagree; simply just click out. Thank you guys, however, if you do enjoy this story! It's a new uptake with the first season that I've wanted to do since 2008 when the show first premiered! (Or was it 2007...?)**

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Her light snores echoed slightly off the wooden walls as sunlight bleared through the cracked, cheap windows Chris absolutely refused to replace after Trent, Duncan, and Geoff had accidentally sent a frisbee through it. She smiled lightly in her sleep, her satin pink sleep mask covering her wide onyx eyes. For a moment, all was peaceful. Everyone in camp was asleep and actually comfortable for once. There was nothing to worry about, not a damn thing.

Except it was all just false advertisement, for only a few moments later a low roar from an airplane seemed to be soaring right over their heads, the sound of its engine able to wake up all the campers in their cabins, including Courtney as she shot up suddenly and looked around, momentarily alarmed to only see darkness before she pushed up her sleep mask and glared at the ceiling, almost as if she could see Chris flying just above him.

"Sometimes I'd really like to put HIM in the Boat of Losers," she snapped quietly, knowing Bridgette was also awake by then.

"No kidding," Bridgette groaned. "Ugh...c'mon, before he decides to break out the airhorn."

Courtney growled and climbed out of bed, mimicking Bridgette's routine by brushing her teeth, fixing her hair, and changing into her normal attire of a white button up, a grey sweater vest, and her green khakis. As always, her feet were covered by the high heeled wedges that looked almost similar to Heather's. Waiting for Bridgette to finish pulling her hair up in its ponytail, the two of them slumped out of the cabin and down the steps, squinting out in the sunlight in search of the familiar plane Chris loved so much.

"Well, you're no sleeping beauty," a voice taunted playfully as she and Bridgette joined the rest of their team.

"I don't even think she would be able to wake up so pretty with Chris Maclean out to ruin everything," Courtney huffed.

"Um, you guys?" Gwen suddenly spoke up, pointing her hands upwards. "I'm not usually one to overreact, but isn't he getting a little close?"

"INCOMING!" Chris shouted by coincidence as the plane dipped lower, almost threateningly close to the campers.

"HIT THE DECK!" Geoff cried out, grabbing Bridgette's wrist by instinct and yanking her to the grass, Courtney doubling over and covering her head just as the plane slid right over where they were just standing, ultimately landing only a few feet away.

"He's so going to kill one of us these days," Courtney snarled.

"You alright?" Duncan asked, looking her over as they all got back to their feet.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Now, c'mon," Courtney could practically feel Heather's eyes on them, quick to grab Duncan's hand and drag him away toward their host that had pulled his plane window down in order to speak with them. She didn't want the queen bee getting any ideas on trying to mess with the two of them. She had already interfered with Gwen and Trent as much as she could.

"Just flexing your muscles for today's," Chris paused for a moment, just before he protruded a red megaphone practically from nowhere, "EXTREME SPORTS CHALLENGE!"

Everyone shouted in anger as they covered their ears in pain from the ringing his incredibly irritating voice caused.

"Ugh, it's too early for this," Gwen groaned.

Chris smiled and placed the megaphone down, thankfully now continuing in a much more normal voice, "This week you'll be participating in three challenges. First up: extreme sofa bed skydiving! Contestants will plummet - uh - skydive to a waiting sofa bed down below." Chef opened the back door to the plane out toward a sofa-bed, obviously going to demonstrate. He leaped off the landing and ended up being folded into the sofa completely, his painful screams muffled.

"Of course, you'll be skydiving from 5,000 feet...and using these!" He reached inside the plane for a moment before pulling out two raggedy looking parachute bags that looked as if they would tear if you merely picked them up. Courtney prayed seriously that she wouldn't be the one chosen for this particular challenge. She obviously had a problem with heights. She couldn't even jump off a cliff, and that was going to just be in the water! This would be from the sky to the ground below!

"Our lucky contestants are...Trent and DJ!"

Courtney sighed in relief, just before DJ looked at her, shocked. "Uh, I mean...sorry, DJ! We'll totally make sure you land safely!" She patted his arm, though she knew she didn't sound too convincing.

"Oh, c'mon, buddy!" Trent took the reigns, sounding much more encouraging than the brunette. "You know what they say in Blackcone Mountain, bro! The best glimpse of heaven is on the way into hell! Let's do this!" He clapped him proudly on the back, grinning and completely oblivious to how terrified DJ looked.

"Ah, ah, ah! Not so fast!" Chris interrupted. "Because the second challenge of the day is...extreme rodeo moose riding! Contestants will rodeo ride this great Canadian bucking moose for eight seconds or...get hooved into a giant pile of socks from the lost and found!"

"You're really sick and twisted, you know that?" Courtney grimaced.

"Hey, makes good for ratings! Remember, I could've let Harold give you the boot, but I was feeling nice!" Chris sang.

"Oh, well! That stank pile ain't nothing but laundry day back home!" LeShawna shrugged, brushing it off.

"It's your lucky day, LeShawna! You're riding for Gophers! And Geoff, you'll ride for Bass!" Chris announced, LeShawna turning from confident to worried.

"And the final challenge," Chris began, speaking into the megaphone and interrupting their conversation. "Extreme seadoo water skiing!"

He quickly led them a few ways away where there seemed to be a tiny mud bit built up with red and green pennants with a finish line at one side.

"Contestants will water ski a race course grabbing as many flags as they can before crossing the finish line while a member from the opposing team drives the seadoo." Chris explained.

"How are we supposed to waterski without water?" Heather suddenly snapped.

"It's really hard. Check it out!" Chris gestured back to the mud pit where Chef suddenly appeared with a seadoo, taking just about every bump before launching himself painfully into a tree. Chris laughed obnoxiously. "Awesome! Courtney, you'll ski for Killer Bass! And Lindsay for the Screaming Gophers!"

"But I've never waterskied before!" Courtney protested.

"Sucks to be you, then! Are you willing to lose it all for your team?"

"Bite me," Courtney huffed, crossing her arms.

"Well, I'm totally excited, Corey! I get to model my new bikini!" Lindsay squealed, jumping up and down.

"Now for the cool swag," Chris continued, ignoring the fact Lindsay called him the wrong thing again. "Today won't be an elimination challenge!"

Everybody began to cheer excitedly.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah! It'll be a reward challenge, and trust me, you do not want to miss out on this beauty!" Chris suddenly pointed behind him, everyone gasping. "A tricked-out multi-message mobile shower!"

Courtney nearly fell to her knees in worship. The shower glowed in a heavenly light, the showerheads glistening without a speck of mold or dirt that their normal showers had. They desperately needed to win these challenges if they were going to have any chance at getting that shower. She just hoped DJ and Geoff would manage to get ahead with the first two challenges considering she absolutely sucked at waterskiing, or mud-skiing for this purpose.

"Are we gonna be able to have hot water for more than five seconds?" Bridgette asked, leaning on Courtney to stop her from falling. Courtney smirked and turned to the two guys who didn't seem as enthusiastic as the girls did for the reward. Grabbing the front of DJ's shirt as well as Geoff's cowboy hat, she yanked them down so she could hiss to them, "Look, guys, if we win today's challenge, we finally get a hundred percent clean without worrying about staff infections from the communal washrooms. I have no clue if I'll be able to stick it out in my challenge, but since it's Lindsay, I can almost guarantee I have a great chance. As for you two-"

"No worries, Court, we totally got this!" Geoff smiled, standing straight and ruffling her brown hair playfully. "Killer Bass are so gonna dominate!"

"Unless you're diving from 5,000 feet in the air," DJ gulped.

Courtney sighed and backed away, leaving them to their own thoughts just before she was stopped by Duncan who seemed to be trying to get her attention. Once Courtney was sure Heather was not glancing toward them in suspicion, Courtney leaned in to listen.

"You sure you can do this?" he asked.

"No, but it's Lindsay skiing for the Gophers. She can't even remember anyone's name, let alone how to stay upright on the skis. I think I can manage," Courtney smirked confidently.

Duncan mirrored it and moved as if to take her hand, though he stopped when the roar of the plane seemed to start up again, Chris switching it on and yelling to them over the propeller's echoing whoosh, "Okay, gang! Chow for breakie, then report back in twenty minutes for the...EXTREME SPORTS CHALLENGE!"

As he took off, the gas that emitted from the plane made them all heave for breath just before it cleared up, giving them the opportunity to quickly scurry to the mess hall for breakfast, even if it was more likely to poison them. But Courtney knew if it was a sports challenge, she really needed to fill up.

As they walked, Duncan finally slipped his hand in hers, nonchalantly grinning his stupid grin as if he were trying to play it off completely. Courtney knew as far as PDA went, romantic-wise, this was as far as they would go. Both were still focused on the game, but they both had too much pride and enough humility not to become kissy-kissy in front of everyone and make them uncomfortable.

"You know, it's a shame I wasn't picked for the skydiving challenge. I've always wanted to do that! My older brother actually raised enough cash to try it out once, but he got banned from the place since he did it in his birthday suit. Made for a good Christmas card, though!" Duncan cackled, Courtney grimacing in disgust at the thought of someone spiraling out of a flying aircraft wearing nothing to cover their more intimate parts. She hoped Chris wasn't overhearing them, because knowing that host, it would give him too many ideas.

"But DJ and Trent have to dive onto a sofa bed of all things. I seriously hope those filthy parachutes work, otherwise two of Chris' 'contestants' are gonna lose their lives," Courtney worried verbally as they stepped inside the mess hall, the awful smell of their breakfast clouding up the necessary air they needed to breathe. They separated their hands in order to grab a plate before they went to sit with the Killer Bass.

"Awe, relax, Princess, they totally test out these challenges to make sure they're safe. 'Sides, with Trent's luck, I say we have that challenge already in the bag," Duncan laughed, shoveling the grey porridge looking food into his mouth. Despite Courtney's slight irritation with his attitude, she had to admit his point. Trent had probably received the worst treatment this whole season. He got terrified by a mime and was forced into diving into the ocean, got a concussion from Owen throwing a basket of oranges at his head, and he got the worst food poisoning thanks to Lindsay who didn't cook the blowfish correctly.

"How cool is it that I get to ride a moose, guys?" Geoff exclaimed excitedly. "So stellar, haha."

"Well, I'm glad you're psyched out for your challenge," Courtney huffed, picking at her food.

Soon enough, everyone quickly finished the grub, Courtney barely even touching hers, before they all began to make their way to the beach where the first challenge would be held. Duncan left with DJ and Geoff, eager to give DJ some pointers about what his brother told him about skydiving, but Bridgette remained to wait with Courtney, watching in disappointment as she tossed her uneaten plate on the other dirty dishes.

"You realize you can't be picky about food, especially today, right?" she asked.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I just don't feel hungry, okay?" Courtney snapped quietly as she and the blonde went to leave the mess hall, but they were stopped quickly by two people who decided to block the doorway. "Uh, hello? It's called an exit! Can you get out of our way?" The CIT didn't feel the need to be so nice, especially considering it was Heather and Lindsay blocking their way. "Do you two mind?"

"Oh, no, of course not!" Heather feigned kindness. "We were just about to leave, but I'm really glad I caught you two on your own! I've been really wanting to speak with both of you!"

"And why is that?" Bridgette asked slowly.

"Well, a little birdy's told me that a certain goody-goody has hooked herself up with the baddest guy on the island!" Heather sang.

"Really, who?" Lindsay asked excitedly, before she was silenced by Heather jabbing her elbow into her side.

"I don't think it's any of your business," Courtney stated, her tone very melancholy. Heather was dangerous and Courtney knew that. As much as it pained her to say, she'd say Heather was the only worthy competitor that could possibly get Courtney booted with a snap of her hands. "If you don't move now I have no trouble with making you."

"Okay, I guess we are throwing the façade away," Heather rolled her eyes, her pitchy, fake tone disappearing as she smirked evilly next. "Look, Courtney, I've seen the way you play the game. You're firm, but fair, but even you wouldn't hesitate to throw your best friend overboard if it meant getting you ahead." Heather coughed and pointedly looked at Bridgette, who then glared at her. "I'm just trying to stop you from hurting poor Dunky's heart when it comes to the time you'll have to vote him off if it means you'll win."

"Okay, well, _Dunky's_ very understanding that we both want that money and we can set out relationship aside long enough for us to compete," Courtney spat the God awful nickname. "I see you couldn't do the same for your buddy, Beth. She got a little too strong for your liking so you dumped her the next moment."

"And, plus, the Killer Bass aren't as heinous as you Gophers," Bridgette added, crossing her arms. "We know in order to get far is to work together. We're just fine."

"Okay, well, I hope you keep that in mind when the merge comes," Heather snickered. "Au revoir!" With that, she yanked Lindsay's arm and the two of them disappeared off toward the beach where the rest of the teams were.

"I never knew someone could be so awful," Bridgette sighed, before turning to Courtney. "You okay?"

"I'm fine," Courtney replied coolly, though she didn't feel as such. "C'mon, before Chris sends out a stupid search party for us."

And, with that, the two friends took off at a quick jog to join the others.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: First off, I'd like to thank you guys so much for enjoying this story! I didn't think many people felt the same as I did with Courtney's first elimination. It was totally unfair and she should've stayed while Harold went, especially considering his impact on the show after her elimination didn't even help him. He literally got eliminated the next episode. Anyway, here's yet another chapter.**

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By the time they got to the beach, everyone was already there. Courtney pointedly ignored Heather's gaze on her as she and Bridgette found the Bass and stuck with them. It wasn't as though Heather were right. Duncan did understand that, despite their current relationship, they were both still competing for that money. Courtney wouldn't be livid if he voted her off, so she shouldn't be that way to him. But, at the same time...maybe Duncan was under the impression that they'd just vote for everyone else except for each other. It was all so confusing...Heather was in her head, just like she wanted to be.

"Now, remember," Chris called, interrupting her train of thought. "ground teams can wheelie the sofa beds wherever they want in order to help their comrade with the landing."

DJ and Trent both tensed up visibly.

"Sayonara, Trent!" Heather suddenly called, smirking as the musician turned to her. "I hope your attempts to impress weird goth girl are worth the chalk outline!" She gestured below where, somehow, she managed to draw in chalk over the sand to make an outline of Trent's body. It was quite disturbing. Gwen growled and glared towards the Queen Bee. She always hated her the most.

That's it!

Courtney's eyes widened and she suddenly felt her twisted stomach unwind and go comfortable once more, filling with hope instead of despair. Why didn't she think about it before? While she definitely wasn't one for alliances since she preferred to work alone, if she was going to make sure Heather didn't' vote her off, what better way by banding together with all of the campers Heather made angry the most? That would mean Courtney needed the loyalties of Gwen, LeShawna, Bridgette, Duncan, and Trent. It seemed so perfect!

Meanwhile, the plane started up again, DJ and Trent climbing aboard while each of the two teams grabbed ahold of their sofa beds, prepared to run it to wherever either one of their teammates landed. Courtney prayed desperately that she would manage to capture DJ in time. They needed to win this challenge. Also, she didn't think she could handle it on her conscience if DJ died.

"Alright, team, let's get going!" Chris yelled as he took off into the air, DJ's scream being overpowered by the plane engine. Instantly, the Killer Bass took off in a sprint, shoving and following the plane's route as best as they could, their feet slightly sinking from the sand, which unfortunately slowed their movements. But they were definitely going faster than the Screaming Gophers, who were now struggling thanks to Owen falling asleep on said sofa bed.

"Hey," Courtney suddenly hissed, catching Bridgette and Duncan's attention with ease. "I was thinking..."

"Of?"

"An alliance, but not just any one... I'm not using the alliance to get farther in the game. I'm using it to get rid of Heather once and for all. I was thinking that you two, Gwen, LeShawna, and Trent could help me in getting her voted off. Are you in?" Courtney bit her lip in anticipation as both of them thought it over.

"Well, babe, I'm touched you thought of me first," Duncan grinned mischievously, "but even with all of us, Heather's pretty cutthroat. Odds are she'll be ahead of us with every step we take to get her out. Don't get me wrong, she seriously gets on my nerves, but the girl's gotten this far for a reason."

"I agree with Duncan," Bridgette said. "But...I also want her gone, so I'll do whatever it takes, even if it puts me at risk. I'm in."

Courtney looked back at Duncan, this time her expression more sincere. She couldn't do it without him, and he knew that. Finally, he sighed and suddenly stopped pushing the sofa-bed, everyone following suit since they all saw DJ falling from the plane finally right below to where they had pushed the bed. They had perfected the placement.

"Fine, Princess, you have my allegiance. Let's just make sure we keep it on the down-low. I'll get Trent in. You two get the other chicks," Duncan hissed before looking up and shouting in surprise as DJ landed, his parachute hung over his head. They did it! DJ didn't die and Courtney had half of her alliance already. Win/win!

"Everything's still here?" DJ asked, delirious from the fall as he looked over himself. "Nothing's broken?" He sighed in relief and smiled at his teammates, but only moments later did the bed fold into the sofa, taking DJ with it. The lot of the team, including the Bass, gasped in surprise, before whistling innocently and walking away.

Overhead, Chris flew low to the sand, "Gophers lose! Bass win! 1-0!"

"Yes!" Courtney cheered, throwing a fist into the air. Duncan threw his arms around her in a tight hug as the team cheered loudly, the Gophers glaring at them from their own sofa bed, Trent nowhere to be found. Turns out he missed it completely and landed straight into the sand, taking him out of today's challenge. Guess that meant they would have to recruit him later.

After he was taken into the ambulance that somehow got onto the island, the rest of the teams followed Chris back to the campgrounds where LeShawna and Geoff's challenge would be held for the moose. As they walked, Bridgette, Duncan, and Courtney strayed to the back in order to talk with more privacy.

"I think it'd be best for you to talk to Gwen and me to talk to LeShawna." Bridgette suggested. "After all, you and Gwen aren't on the best of terms after the dodgeball challenge."

"What do you mean?" Courtney asked.

"Well, you did toss oatmeal in her face...and she chucked a dodgeball straight for your face. I just think if you want this alliance to go well, you need to fix circumstances with her," Bridgette said. "I've talked to Gwen and she's actually really cool. I feel like you two would become great friends."

Duncan nodded. "She's got a point, Princess. That Beth chick got booted just after she decided to grow enough...guts...to stand up to Heather by not liking her. I don't want the same to happen to you."

Courtney nodded and the three separated as Chris beckoned LeShawna and Geoff forward for their part of the challenge. Gwen stood off to the side, looking rather miserable since Trent had to leave for the day in order for medical aid. Thankfully, nobody was around her, so it gave her the perfect chance to go over and quietly call her name.

Gwen flinched and turned, wide eyed to see Courtney of all people attempting to talk to her.

"What? Come to tell us how we're too incompetent to win the challenge? You seriously need to check your ego," Gwen snapped, crossing her arms angrily.

"No, actually, I came over for another purpose," Courtney stated, biting her tongue in order to avoid an argument. Gwen wasn't exactly her favorite person. As far as stereotypes went, her and Gwen were polar opposites, but this was all to make sure Heather left for good. If Gwen and her had to feign friendship in order for it to happen, so be it. "I want to make an alliance with you, LeShawna, Trent, Bridgette, and Duncan."

"You're throwing a lot of names out there," Gwen said. "Why all the people? Specifically, why us?"

"Because, as far as hatred goes, all of us are against Heather the most. I know you want her gone and this alliance will ensure it will happen sooner than later. This island's getting a bit too small and picking my allies for this battle needs to be the first move. Besides, you're not a total loser. You've won a lot of challenges for your team."

"And here I thought you were just a goody-goody," Gwen smirked deviously as she turned to look at Heather who was completely oblivious of their conversation. Instead, she was hissing something into Heather's ear. "You've got yourself a deal." With that, she held her hand out and Courtney took it, shaking it firmly. Just as they separated was when Geoff was completely thrown off the moose and tossed into the filthy pile of laundry.

"Looks like we're tied," Gwen sighed. "Well, if it means anything, I guarantee you'll win against Lindsay."

"Thanks," Courtney smiled. "And LeShawna's definitely going to take this win. I'm just glad it's a reward challenge."

"You and me both."

With that, the girls waved and separated to join their respective teams once more. Bridgette and Duncan looked at Courtney expectantly. Giving them a nod and a wry grin, both understood their alliance was now a group of four. They just needed the two other people and Heather was guaranteed to leave the next time there's an elimination ceremony.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: I'm so sorry for such a long wait! But I'm back with a new chapter that I hope you all enjoy! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, especially with all the new interactions that we never got to see in the original show.**

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As Courtney had expected, LeShawna had won the challenge with ease, which stunk literally for Geoff since he had landed in that filthy laundry pile. Joining her team again, Courtney plugged her nose and spoke quietly to Bridgette and Duncan in a slightly nasal voice, "Gwen's in. LeShawna?"

"I'll talk to her now," Bridgette smiled, disappearing toward the Gophers' side, leaving Duncan and Courtney alone. Seizing an opportunity, Duncan grabbed her free hand and squeezed it, giving her a sincere smile that she returned. It felt nice not to be fighting with him as much anymore, and it felt even better that she was now free to act on her feelings. Still, she couldn't help but hear Heather's words at the back of her head. It was madness.

"Something wrong?" his words interrupted her thoughts.

Flushing, she quickly shook her head, "Er-no! Nope! Just worried about the water skiing is all..."

Duncan raised a brow and frowned, just before he looked around and began pulling her away from the others. Surprised, Courtney dug her wedges in the dirt to stop him for a moment, just before she deemed it useless and reluctantly followed, worried about what he was going to say once they were out of everyone's earshot.

"You know when I can tell that you're lying?" he finally asked, stopping in front of her. He released her hand in order to cross his arms over his chest.

"I'm not-"

"You can drop the act, Princess, your nose wrinkles and your face gets red enough for me to count all of your freckles. Something's up. Just be straight with me. Do...do you not want this?" He stared toward the ground before meeting her eyes again. "Because if you don't, I understand. We can drop it."

"What? No! It's not that!" Courtney quickly protested. "It's just...urgh...how do I put this? Okay, I ran into Heather on the way out of breakfast this morning..." She told him the entire conversation they had and the thoughts the female had put into the CIT's head. Duncan, surprisingly, listened through the entire story, his eyes narrowing at just the sound of Heather's name. It was very clear he didn't like her at all. "...and I was just thinking...if it did come down to it, would all of this - the fighting, the kiss, the...whatever we are right now. Will it be over? Duncan, I still wanna win. If I have to vote you off..."

"Then you're gonna do it."

"What?" Courtney looked up at him, even more surprised than before.

"I know you wanna win. I wanna win, too. Why else would I have signed onto this stupid show? Besides it being a ticket out of juvie, I knew I needed the money. I don't expect you to throw everything away to give me the win. I wouldn't do the same for you. Being with you is just a bonus, no matter what happens," Duncan shrugged, glaring away as his face turned red. It was clear to Courtney he wasn't used to the affectionate talking. She kind of liked it. "If it does come down to it, which it eventually will, we both try to win. If you win, I'll be sitting there at the finish line ready to make out on live television just to humiliate you. And if I win...it'll be vice versa."

Courtney snorted, biting her lip to hide her smile. Finally, she looked back up at him and nodded. "Alright, then."

"Great." Duncan shrugged, grabbing her hand and pulling her in for a quick kiss. "Now, c'mon...we need to go and win that damn shower. Geoff reeks!" Courtney tossed her head back and laughed, following him back to the teams, who had disappeared to the mud pit where she and Lindsay would be water skiing. Chris quickly pointed to her as they approached, yelling, "Go ahead and get suited up for this portion, Court! You've got ten minutes!" Nodding, she left to her cabin to switch into her bathing suit.

Once she got back, she could hear Chris saying, "Well, we have a tie! Whoever wins the X-Treme seadoo water ski challenge wins the beloved shower! Losers will be stuck without it, having to bathe as always in the communal washrooms."

"I'm ready!" Lindsay sang from Courtney's right, putting everyone in awe of her gorgeous green bikini that fit her terribly good. Courtney suddenly felt a tad more self conscious in her more modest grey bathing suit, but as she turned to look at Duncan, she could see he only had eyes for her. She smiled more confidently, ready to dominate this game.

"We are so dead," Heather whined, seeing the blonde. "Unless...I GET TO DRIVE THE WAVE JUMPER!" She raised the keys for the machine, making Courtney stumble where she was standing, her mouth dropped. This changed everything. Lindsay could cross that finish line with only one flag, and she'd win. Heather would make sure Courtney wouldn't be able to even cross the finish line.

"That's it, we're done," Courtney squeaked.

"No, you're not!" Bridgette stated, putting a hand on her shoulder to bring her attention to the blonde. "You can do this, Court! We all believe in you! And, also..." Bridgette turned to make sure Heather wasn't listening in, before whispering, "LeShawna's with us." That changed things for Courtney, too, but in a good way.

"Okay, okay...whose driving Lindsay, then?" she asked as she and Bridgette walked over to the end of the mud pit where Courtney's skis resided.

"Duncan. And if we can trust his driving skills, that gives us a bigger edge. And, remember, even if you do lose, nobody goes home. It's a reward challenge. But, seriously, try to win because I don't want Geoff stinking up the cabin!" Bridgette smiled and disappeared back to the Bass as Courtney pulled on the skis. Heather passed by her, making her way to the wave jumper.

"Really hope nothing happens to you, Court! I would hate for Dunky's girlfriend to be like Gwen's boyfriend!" she cackled as she climbed on, slamming the keys inside so it roared to life. Courtney gulped as she leaned down and grabbed the bar attached to the boat. This was it. She needed this to go well!

Chris suddenly drove by on what looked to be a jeep, speaking into his megaphone for all to hear, "The rules for mud-skiing are...oh, wait-there are no rules! Which means...this is gonna be awesome!"

Courtney shuddered, holding onto the bar tighter.

"ANNND...GO!"

Heather took off instantly, Courtney squealing as she stumbled for a moment, nearly unbalancing herself, but she stood upright and smirked. She hadn't fallen over yet. She could already see the first flag approaching! Biting her lip, she leaned down while still clutching the bar, snatching the green flag from the muddy dirt.

"FLAG ONE FOR BASS!" Chris announced into the intercom system. She could hear her team cheering for her.

"NO!" Heather cried, glaring at her. Courtney just sneered right back. More and more flags were taken, Courtney holding onto all of them while Heather shouted curses at her from over her shoulder. It didn't matter. If Heather crossed that finish line, Courtney would give her team five whole points. This was perfect!

Or it was until Heather suddenly turned on the wave jumper to face her, smirking evilly.

"Chris said I had to pass the finish line in order to qualify! He didn't say whether I had to bring you with me!" she called, reaching into her khaki shorts pocket, retrieving what looked like a pocket knife. Courtney gasped, stumbling for a moment and nearly let go of the bar. Grinning, Heather leaned forward and slashed the rope with ease, disconnecting her from the water vehicle.

"HA!" Heather shrieked victoriously, just before she cried out in pain as she suddenly ran the wave jumper into a rock, unseating her and throwing her to the sidelines painfully. Courtney, still using the momentum from the speed she was going at, suddenly tripped and began rolling clumsily toward the finish line, dragging up mud all over her as she went. She finally landed face first into the mud right after said line, coughing and spewing up the retched taste. Nevertheless, she had brought all the flags with her, raising them for the host to see.

"KILLER BASS TAKE UP THE LEAD WITH FIVE WHOLE FLAGS!" Chris announced into the intercom. "SUCKS TO BE HEATHER RIGHT ABOUT NOW! AND SINCE SHE DIDN'T CROSS THE FINISH LINE, SHE DISQUALIFIED HERSELF ANYWAY!"

Heather got to her feet painfully, her body covered in grass stains as she groaned and rubbed her forehead. "S-Screw you, Chris!"

Courtney felt the same as she did as she got up from the mud pit, feeling as though she ached all over. She was covered from head-to-toe in mud. But she had done it. She was suddenly embraced tightly, cheering sounding in her ear and she knew it was Duncan hugging her. She laughed along with him as the other Bass joined the hug, excluding Geoff who just called his praise from far away since he still stunk.

"Congrats, Courtney! But we still need the Gophers to ski! Lindsay! Duncan! You're up!" Chris called.

Duncan put her down and smirked at her. "Totally gonna win you that shower, Princess! Blonde bimbo ain't seen nothing yet!"

"You've got this, Duncan!" Courtney grunted, holding her stomach in pain. Bridgette helped her to the grass where Heather turned to glare at Courtney as she passed, but the CIT paid her no mind. Instead she watched as Duncan climbed onto the jet-ski and Lindsay strapped herself to the skis available.

"He's got this. You can wash all that mud off, soon," Bridgette assured quietly.

Courtney nodded and turned just in time for Chris to yell, "GO!"

Duncan, just as Heather had, started off strong, pressing his foot firmly onto the gas pedal as he glared over his shoulder at Lindsay, who somehow was an expert at skiing, seeing as she was flexible and able to grab every flag they crossed, all the while doing flips and perfect landings. Courtney was at a loss for words. Apparently so was Duncan as he stared back at her, mouth dropped and eyes wide.

Just as Courtney did, Lindsay grabbed every flag available, whooping excitedly as she twirled thrice in the air, landing with precision.

"FIVE FLAGS FOR THE GOPHERS! AND DUNCAN STILL NEEDS TO CROSS THAT FINISH LINE!"

"SAYS YOU!" Duncan snapped, just before he yelled out in surprise as the same rock Heather had ran into unseated him, but he fell right over the finish line just as Courtney did, Lindsay skiing in right after him, still clutching the five flags. Everyone was shocked, mouths dropped and eyes wide as they looked at Chris to decipher who won.

"Alright, alright, everyone just calm down!" Chris sighed, driving up on the jeep. "Let's look at this logically..."

"Lindsay got across the finish line! We should win!" Heather snarled, throwing her hands into the air.

"Actually, Lindsay AND Duncan crossed the finish line. Since Courtney passed the finish line during her turn and you didn't...that gives the Bass the lead! Therefore...THE KILLER BASS WIN!" Chris announced. Everyone's faces lit up and threw their hands ecstatically into the air as they turned towards the mobile shower.

"SHOWER! SHOWER!" Courntey and Bridgette exclaimed together, embracing each other tightly. Bridgette didn't care that she was getting mud all over herself.

Duncan cheered as he got to his feet, also covered in mud by now. The Screaming Gophers looked devastated, but Courtney could tell they were okay with losing because there was still no elimination. Heather, however, looked downright livid. That made Courtney just a little more satisfied.

While the Screaming Gophers slowly made their way toward the communal washrooms, the Bass trotted quickly over to the mobile shower, eager to feel the hot water that they knew for a fact was clean water. Courtney was stopped by LeShawna and Gwen, however, letting the others get ahead.

"Hey, girl, just wanted to give you the congratulations on the showers. Can't say I wish it wasn't us, but...I'd rather see Heather in a face full of dirt than that any day!" LeShawna clapped her around the shoulder, before grinning as she whispered, "And our alliance is definitely gonna be of help to get her butt outta my face!"

"Oh, I totally second that," Gwen smirked. "Have fun washing the mud-shame off you and your boyfriend. Try to keep your hands to yourself."

Courtney's eyes widened, her cheeks quickly reddening as she backed away. "What? N-No! I'm just...I'm gonna go take a shower." With that, she quickly disappeared into the showers, ignoring the laughter LeShawna and Gwen made.


	5. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Here's another update! I really hope you enjoy it! Just know this is where I'll be seriously changing up the season to play into Courtney's character development. This chapter is the beginning of it.**

The shower had been to die for. Courtney was sure she'd never feel as clean as she did on this island after that shower. Her hair actually shimmered as she returned to the cabin where Bridgette already was, relishing in the fact that were completely and utterly clean. Since there was no elimination, everyone on the island seemed to be in a good mood, so much so Courtney and Bridgette actually went as far as to invite LeShawna and Gwen over for the night before tomorrow's challenge that would surely be worse than the X-Treme torture they've already endured.

Their side of the cabin was lit by a single lantern Chris had given them when the show had first started in case some of the girls needed to use the communal washrooms in the middle of the night. The four girls sat in a circle, laughing about the challenge's occurrence and gossiping about what they'd probably go through tomorrow. Courtney should've suspected the conversation would soon turn to the alliance she had created somehow, but she didn't mind. They really needed strategy if they were going to take Heather out once and for all.

"So you're sure Trent would agree to the alliance?" Bridgette asked.

Gwen nodded, running a hand down her teal and raven colored hair. "Oh, yeah...he wants Heather gone just like the rest of us. Only problem is...how are we gonna keep this from Heather? She's not exactly the brightest crayon in the box, but she's got a thing for manipulation. She can really play the game."

Courtney looked down, her mind whirling this way and that through half plans and bits of strategy she had been throwing around earlier when she was taking a shower.

"Well...what if we targeted Lindsay? I don't really hate her, but she's collateral damage. Without her, Heather's going to be grasping at straws to stay on," she suggested.

"That could work," LeShawna nodded. "But she's a blabber mouth. She'll go blabbin' to Heather about it without intention."

"I say we wait and see what today's challenge is," Bridgette said. "If it plays to our strong point, we could take out Heather that way. I don't wanna hurt Lindsay. She may be trusting the wrong person, but she doesn't deserve to be kicked off because she's too naïve." The other three thought about it and nodded. Lindsay was a sweet girl, and while she wasn't innocent with Heather's antics, she couldn't possibly know she was hurting the others. All she knows is she's doing what Heather wants. Courtney wasn't cruel.

"Fine, don't target Lindsay. We could-"

"Ooh, lady sleepover!" a voice called slyly, making all four girls turn in alarm to see Duncan poking his head through the screen door, smirking.

"Duncan!" Courtney hissed. "We're in our pajamas! Go back to the boys' side!"

"Relax, babe," Duncan rolled his eyes. "I only got eyes for one of ya." Instead of obliging to her words, he let himself in and approached their circle, taking the empty spot by Courtney. He was only dressed in comfortable shorts. He was shirtless, which made Courtney blush hard as she tried to avoid looking at him, instead focusing on the lantern that sat at the center. "So! What are we talking about?"

"We're tryin' to figure out how we're gonna boot Heather," LeShawna answered, "any suggestions, Juvie-Princess?'

"Nickname aside, I have a few ideas," Duncan rolled his eyes, shifting himself so he sat straighter. "Heather's the most manipulative of the season. As much as it makes me wanna hurl, she can play this game better than all of us...except Princess over here." He gently nudged Courtney with his arm.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Courtney asked, surprised.

"Heather's playing form is strategy. Rest of us either play on common sense, team player-esque, or by pure luck. The only other person who can read the mind or ideas is you." Duncan said, smirking. "That means we play fire with fire. Wait for Heather to make her first strike, let you observe, then find a way to counter it."

"I cannot do what Heather does," Courtney scoffed, "She's cruel! She literally read Gwen's diary to the entire world!"

"Duncan's right," Bridgette suddenly said. "Second challenge, you had the strategy to keep moving until you couldn't anymore. Third challenge you understood the only way to beat the Gophers was by measuring everyone up until it came down to Duncan since he would know how to crush another team. The only thing you have Heather doesn't is empathy."

"But, I-"

"C'mon, Princess! It has to be you, anyway! You're the one who came up with the alliance! Just wait for Heather's first move and use it against her." Duncan smiled, leaning over to press his lips to her cheek before getting up, "But seriously, guys, we better hit the hay. Knowing Chris, he's gonna give us another wake up call with that plane he's got."

LeShawna and Gwen followed suit, bidding Bridgette and Courtney goodbye with simple smiles before leaving back to their cabin. Courtney watched them, her mouth in a tight frown. How could they do that to her? There was no way she'd be able to make a better move against Heather without putting herself or one of the other members on the chopping block!

"Don't stress about it, Court, you'll be fine!" Bridgette assured, helping the brunette to her feet. "And, oddly again, Duncan's right. We should head to bed. Would you mind putting the lantern up for me?" Sighing, Courtney nodded. Mind wandering, she walked over to the lantern, switching off the light before heading to bed, crawling inside and pulling the covers up to her chin, staring at the bunk above her. She needed to focus. If the others believed in her, how could she fail herself as a CIT to let them down?

With that, she fell into uneasy sleep, dreading the next day.

Thankfully, they weren't given a wake up call. Courtney was able to sleep her worry away, waking up comfortably in her bunk with no roar of a plane or horn from a megaphone. Smiling, she got to her feet and got dressed in her normal attire, waiting for Bridgette to do the same before the two left for the mess hall. Weirdly enough, everyone else was doing the same, all looking well rested from the X-Treme challenge. Heather, however, was baring a few bruises here and there from her wreck with the wave jumper. Courtney smirked at that.

"Morning, Princess," Duncan's voice greeted as he caught up with her, also dressed in his regular clothes. "Were you able to sleep on it?"

"I was able to sleep on the paranoia, but I'm still a little cautious. Heather's not an easy competitor, like you said," Courtney shrugged.

"Relax! It'll be fine, I promise you," he whispered since Heather passed them, giving Courtney one heck of a glare. Shaking her head, Courtney intertwined her hand with Duncan's before the two continued toward the mess hall, awaiting the gross breakfast Chef probably prepared. Unfortunately(or more fortunately), there was no food to be found.

"What?" Trent called. He had gotten a lot better since his fall from the plane. It was a miraculous recovery. "No breakfast?"

Chris, who was standing by the door with Chef, snickered obnoxiously. "Oh, don't worry, dude! There will be plenty of food later on!"

Courtney narrowed her eyes as she took a seat between Bridgette and Duncan at the Bass table. Chris and Chef continued to laugh hysterically under their breaths, clinging to each other with their wide grins.

"What are you two bozos so giggly about?" LeShawna demanded as she walked in. Instead of answering, they merely laughed some more.

"Congratulations to the remaining eleven campers for reaching the halfway mark in the competition!" Chris said, finally curbing his laughter. "You'll all be on the jury for the final episode!"

"We got the power!" Geoff suddenly cheered. "YEAH!"

"The two teams will become one next week, especially since come next week, we'll only have ten of you left! Oh, yeah, somebody's definitely getting booted tonight!" Chris smirked. "But there's a twist! Only, first...all the girls will be moved to the Gopher cabin and all the guys will stay in the Bass cabin! This week's challenge will be as old as history itself! A battle of the sexes! As soon as the kiddies are settled in their new cabins, I'll announce the challenge, and then...you'll have a bite to eat." Him and Chef began snickering again. "The reward for the winners is a good one! Annnd….the reward for the loser isn't! Hope everyone can dig the loser boat! Let's move!" He clapped his hands together once.

The lot of them got to their feet, Courtney and Bridgette doing so simultaneously as they eyed the soon to be no Gophers warily.

"We'll be fine," Bridgette whispered as she and Courtney made their way out. "We're cool with LeShawna and Lindsay."

"Yeah...but this means we'll LITERALLY be sleeping with the enemy!" Courtney reminded.

"True...and I'm really gonna miss our old cabin," Bridgette mumbled, looking up gloomily as Geoff passed, who sent her a kind smile. She blushed and smiled, only to frown again. Courtney, then, understood what exactly about the old cabin she'd be missing. Upon instinct, she glanced towards Duncan who sent her a grin and a wink. Smiling, she continued to walk knowing Duncan and her were still okay.

"Wow!" a voice called, a hand suddenly shoving Courtney away. Heather had appeared, apparently speaking solely to Bridgette since she had gotten between the two. "Your hair looks great today! So natural!"

"Thanks, I-" Bridgette was quickly cut off.

"How do you take care of it?" Heather pressed on. "You have to share your secret!"

"Oh, it's nothing, really," Bridgette coughed awkwardly, glancing toward Courtney as if mentally pleading with her to help.

When the brunette tried to interfere, however, Heather turned her head towards her, her kind smile turning deadly. "And then there's you...really like how the sun catches the hair on your upper lip! Duncan must so dig it!"

Courtney opened her mouth to retort, just before she gained an idea. Looking toward Bridgette, then back to Heather, she forced herself to give a smile. "Ha! That's, uh...funny. Can't wait to join your cabin! We'll be able to crush the guys with all of us together!" Bridgette looked surprised, as did Heather.

"Uh...yeah... You two should get your things. I'll be able to show you around, Bridgette," Heather said, flipping her hair and trotting off to her cabin.

"What was that?" Bridgette asked as she and Courtney began to walk again.

"You said so yourself...I have one thing Heather doesn't, and that's empathy. But she has one thing that I also don't...an easily accessible ego. All you gotta do is stroke it and she's eating out of the palm of my hand. I think I know exactly how to get rid of her now..."


End file.
